


Cloud nine

by VulpesVulpes713



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Laith, M/M, Voltron, as a prank for keith, at least...at first, guys cmon keith is too awkward for this sort of thing, it backfires...sort of, klance, klance fluff, lance is a stripper/dancer, ordered by pidge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-02
Updated: 2018-03-02
Packaged: 2019-03-26 01:30:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13847208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VulpesVulpes713/pseuds/VulpesVulpes713
Summary: Keith was expecting pizza at his doorstep.What the hell is he supposed to do with an angel?





	Cloud nine

**Author's Note:**

> Based on [this lovely art](https://vulpes--vulpes.tumblr.com/post/171381427361/tetramancer-did-somebody-call-for-an-angel)

He wouldn’t have heard the doorbell going off had Pidge not lowered the volume of the movie they had been watching mere seconds before.

 

In hindsight he should have known something was up from that alone. No one was that good at detecting pizza, no matter what she insisted. 

 

But Keith was in his relaxed frame of mind; pajamas on and mug of tea freshly brewed...he was set for a calm night in watching the stupidest movies they could find on Netflix. And pizza, which Pidge had apparently ordered, was only adding to Keith’s whole ready-to-vedge vibe.

 

Still, he should have known.

 

“You get it, since I ordered it,” Pidge spoke from beneath her unorthodox pile of blankets, and where Keith would have argued that he would prefer paying over any form of stiff social interaction, he knew it would be a losing battle. Besides, pizza delivery folks were probably used to awkward college students answering the door looking like they’d been lounging around all day with cheeto dust and a semester's worth of eye bag build-up decorating their faces. So he did as instructed with only a small huff of protest.

 

He  _ maybe _ should have thought Pidge’s poorly stifled snicker was something to question, but again, pizza was the only thing on Keith’s mind.

 

But  _ man... _ he should have known.

 

The first thing he noticed upon opening the door was that there was no pizza in sight, which, granted, was a pretty impressive initial observation given that there was so much else to take in.

 

But it didn’t take long for Keith to process the rest of it, and his mouth went dry as his eyes wandered over the half-naked dude wearing booty shorts and angel wings posing on his front step. 

 

_ What the fuck…? _

 

“Did somebody call for an angel?” 

 

It took Keith a moment to register that the man had spoken, and he blinked as his eyes snapped up to the guys face. It was a nice face, if he ignored all the make-up and glitter, but even he couldn’t fully deny the impact the whole aesthetic had on him. 

 

It was the startling. Everything was startling.

 

And because he was so thoroughly startled, Keith’s reaction time was delayed, and he ended up openly staring for a few seconds longer than was socially acceptable, trying to decipher the riddle of the near-naked man on his doorstep. 

 

“Uh-” he attempted, and then Pidge’s voice, strained from holding in laughter, could be heard echoing down the hallway. 

 

“Oh yeah, you’re welcome!” 

 

_ What the FUCK?! _

 

Keith slammed the door shut, body and mind finally catching up to one another and making a rather rash decision as they exchanged pleasantries, leaving Keith standing in his foyer with a forgotten mug, racing heart, and solidary thought whirling around his mind like a toddler on a merry-go-round. 

 

_ WhAt ThE FuCk!?!?! _

 

He stormed back in the living room, where Pidge was now tucked into the corner of the couch giggling like a maniac with her phone pointed at him, likely recording. 

 

“Dude! You just shut the door on an angel!” 

 

Keith wasn’t sure how to respond. His mouth was open, but no words were forming on his tongue, so instead he picked up the nearest pillow and lobbed it at the girl without remorse, knocking the phone from her hands and across the room.

 

“Ah! My child!” Pidge squealed, but made no move to get up, instead throwing a hand over her mouth as she peeked down the hallway. “Oh? Where’s the pizza?”

 

Keith’s voice made a reappearance, though only in the form of a hushed whisper-scream. 

 

“ _ There was no pizza! You lied to me!” _

 

Pidge snorted in a most dignified manner.

 

“I didn’t actually. I told you I ordered something and you just assumed it was food related.” She smirked then, raising a brow as she winked up at him. “Well, I guess this  _ could  _ be food related, seeing as you can eat-”

 

“ _ PIDGE!” _ Keith hissed, throwing another pillow as his cheeks flared. She was laughing, finding the whole situation incredibly hilarious, and went to retrieve her phone as Keith paced the floor restlessly. “What the hell am I supposed to do now?! Why would you order a  _ fucking stripper?!” _

 

She rolled her eyes, checking her cell for damage and shrugging when she deemed it ok. 

 

“You kept complaining about Shiro being all lovey-dovey with my brother, and I got sick of you moping around bored and lonely on the weekends. So I figured, eh, why not.”

 

“Why didn’t you just set me up on a blind date then you psycho!”

 

Pidge raised a brow in his direction, expression skeptical.

 

“You and I both know how that would have gone down.”

 

Keith huffed in annoyance, knowing full well that Pidge was right and he would have declined any awkward first dates with any stranger she had picked out. And yeah, maybe he could admit that he’d been a bit of a whiner when it came to his brother and Matt’s new relationship, seeing as neither spent as much time with him anymore. 

 

But a stripper?  _ Really?! _

 

“Piiiddgee,” he wailed pitifully, flinching as the doorbell rang again. He crouched behind the bookcase as the girl succumbed to another bout of laughter. “What do I  _ do _ ?!”

 

“Answer the door! If you leave an angel waiting you’ll automatically be sent to Hell.”

 

“I’m already in it,” he grumbled, but got up just the same, heading back down the hallway towards the front door. His palms were grossly sweaty, and he wiped them off on his pants before turning the handle, stealing a quick breath as he opened the door once more. 

 

The man was still standing there, looking more amused than pissed, as Keith was anticipating. He winked when he saw him, leaning casually against the frame with one arm.

 

“Gotta say, not the reaction I was expecting,” he teased, and Keith felt his cheeks heat as he purposefully kept his gaze on the floor. “Usually folks are a tad more...welcoming.”

 

“Yeah, uh...sorry.”

 

There was a moment of silence, and then a hand was thrust into Keith’s view, and his head jerked up to see the man staring at him with a lopsided grin, waiting to introduce himself. Keith responded as if on autopilot, and reached out with his own hand to shake the one before him. 

 

_ Oh fuck wait my hands are sweaty- _

 

But it was too late, and the man clasped his hand firmly and shook once, keeping eye contact as he spoke.

 

“I’m Lance.”

 

“Uh, Keith-” but he broke off all at once as Lance pulled him forward, and he lost his balance and landed heavily against the mans chest with a shriek, freezing on impact. 

 

_ Aw SHIT! _

 

“ _ Pleasure _ to meet you Keith,” Lance whispered into his ear, and Keith felt all the air rush out of his lungs as his mind went utterly blank.

 

_ Uh...umm-hmm. _

 

Somehow he was able to regain control of his body, and hastily stepped back, keeping his arms crossed tightly over his chest and once again averting his eyes.

 

“Listen, uh-” he started, then inhaled deeply as he forced himself to go on. “My friend was, well, you can’t...we didn’t-”

 

_ Fuck this Pidge I hate you so much. _

 

He huffed in frustration at his own lack of resolve, and stared up into the face of the angel he was about to send home. Only... _ wow, those are really blue eyes…. _

 

_ No. Focus. No strippers. _

 

“You don’t have to do this,” he gritted out, and Lance tilted his head in confusion. 

 

“What, my job?” he asked, one hand going to slender hips that were just  _ barely _ covered by a thin section of fabric decorated with a large, much too enticing ribbon. Keith tried his best to think of anything else. 

 

“Um, yeah I guess,” he replied lamely, making to close the door. “You can go back to your workplace or...uh, cloud, and-”

 

He was interrupted as a hand shot out and kept the door from closing all the way, and Lance frowned as he pushed it back open.

 

“Actually, I can’t. You booked me for the minimum time slot, which is two hours, and I only get paid in full if I complete those two hours.”

 

It was Keith’s turn to frown, and he allowed the door to swing all the way into the foyer as he huffed and readied himself for an argument. 

 

“Can’t you just say you were here and go dick around in town or something?”

 

Lance scowled, a look which didn’t match the halo hovering over his head, fake as it was. 

 

“As much as I would  _ love _ to do that,” he drawled, pointing back at a car parked in the driveway Keith hadn’t noticed before, “there’s a dash cam installed on that thing. My boss would know right away if I went ‘dicking around’ elsewhere.” 

 

Keith narrowed his eyes at the vehicle, just barely making out the words ‘Dial-a-Dancer’ printed on the side, followed by a number and a gross amount of hearts with tiny wings. He felt a rush of pity for the guy standing on his step, wearing nothing but a glorified speedo and a halloweenish vest, and wondered absently what had driven him to this line of work.

 

_ Surely he can’t be much older then me, _ he thought, returning his attention to Lance.  _ If anything, he looks younger. _

 

“Are you even old enough to be doing this?” he quipped, and Lance pouted.

 

“Of course I am! You want to see my ID as proof?”

 

Keith frowned, eyeing up Lance’s outfit, or lack thereof, with disdain.

 

“Where do you even keep it?”

 

Lance waggled his eyebrows, leaning in and lowering his voice to just barely a whisper.

 

“Invite me inside and I’ll show you.”

 

_ Enticing, _ Keith thought as he gulped, but even if he was brave enough to follow up with Lance’s challenge, he was still hesitant about letting a stripper into his home, mostly because he knew Pidge would make him look a fool or something, and the idea of this guy getting even  _ more _ naked was just too much for his mind and body to handle.

 

“Look,” he sighed after a moment, “I’m really sorry, but I’m just not that into  _ this _ -” he gestured to Lance’s getup “-whole thing, and it’s really awkward and-”

 

Lance cut him off with a short laugh, shaking his head slightly as he ran a hand through his short brown hair. Keith couldn’t help but be drawn to the action, and wondered if that hair was as soft as it looked.

 

His ears lit up with the thought.

 

“It’s cool man,” Lance breathed out, slapping on a smile that Keith found to be a little too forced. “I’ll just explain to the boss that it was a prank or whatever. Happens all the time. Sort of.”

 

“Will you get docked in pay?” Keith asked, and could tell the answer by the way Lance shrugged noncommittally. 

 

“It’s cool. I’m used to it. Sorry for disturbing your night.” He turned, heading for the steps that would take him away and leave Keith to enjoy the rest of his evening in peace and quiet and….well, solitude really, seeing as Pidge would likely pass out ten minutes into the movie. 

 

Just another Friday night spent in his own company drinking tea and watching Netflix, which wasn’t the worst thing, but it had become somewhat routine, and he worried what sort of impacts his habits would have in the long-run. 

 

_ Is this my life now? Will I grow old and bitter watching Black Mirror and documentaries about Bigfoot? _

 

It was a depressing thought, and had him reacting before he could fully process the idea forming in his mind.

 

“Wait!” 

 

Lance paused, glancing back over his shoulder as Keith cursed himself for what he was about to do.

 

“Just, ugh,” he tapped on the door idly, feeling his cheeks warm as Lance’s blue eyes landed on his face, trying desperately not to notice how defined his arms were, or the small dimples imprinted on his lower back. He had a fantastic body, and Keith didn’t doubt for one moment that witnessing the guy strip would be heaven, which is probably why he wore such a gaudy costume to begin with, but it was just too awkward for Keith to let happen. 

 

Especially now that they had had a conversation of sorts. Too personal. Just...weird. 

 

But he couldn’t let the guy leave and get in trouble at work. Even though it had been Pidge to orchestrate the whole thing, Keith felt somehow liable for Lance now, maybe because he had been... _ meant _ for him.

 

_ Uh, wow, that’s a creepy thought that I don’t like. Thanks brain.  _

 

“Yeah?” Lance asked when Keith remained silent, brows raised high on his forehead but looking amused once again. It was an endearing look, and Keith stared down at his toes as he finished his initial thought.

 

“Do you have to strip?”

 

Lance blinked once, then turned to face him fully with both hands at his hips.

 

“I mean,  _ no _ , but it pays decently enough and it’s better than working at Domino’s delivering pizza so like-”

 

“No! No,” Keith cut in, waving his hands in front of him frantically to stop Lance’s train of thought. “I meant are you required to strip if I invite you in? Can you, like, just hang out for two hours and then go?”

 

Lance was quiet as he considered, eyes growing wide briefly before a small, closed-mouthed smile erupted on his lips. 

 

_ Why is he CUTE!  _ Keith found himself demanding to whatever god had sent the boy here. It wasn’t fair.  _ I mean dimples?! Really?! _

 

“I’ve never...had that request before,” he admitted, bringing Keith’s attention back to the moment. “But I don’t see why not.”

 

“Um...okay, then….” Keith swallowed thickly, stepping back into his hallway and gesturing Lance inside. “Do you want to watch a movie?”

 

Maybe it was the wings, or the halo, or even the unflattering light of his porch, but Keith couldn’t remember ever witnessing anything as radiant as Lance as he beamed and nodded, striding into the foyer and looking as if Keith had just agreed to pay him double his due. 

 

“That would be great!” he winked as his fake wings brushed against Keith’s shoulder, and glanced around curiously as Keith shut the door and led him towards the living room. Pidge, who had been engrossed with her phone, didn’t look up when he entered.

 

“Finally manage to work up the nerve to ask him to go or-” she trailed off as Keith cleared his throat loudly, looking up to see that it wasn’t just the two of them any longer. “Oh!” she exclaimed, looking over Lance’s outfit with a growing grin. “I didn’t think you’d actually agree to it! This should be fun!” 

 

She sat up, taking a few quick photos of Lance and Keith’s cherry red face.

 

“Matt will  _ not _ believe this-”

 

“Pidge,” Keith crossed the room and snatched her phone away, earning him a glare and a whiny ‘hey!’, both of which he ignored. “He’s not going to strip,” he whispered under his breath, turning back towards Lance with a nervous smile. “He’s going to watch the movie with us.”

 

“Um…” Pidge began, then must have changed her mind about what she had been about to say, and shrugged as she grinned. “Sure, why not. I get the bean bag though.”

 

_ Shit… _

 

The bean bag was the only other piece of furniture Keith had in his living room besides the couch, which was hardly big enough for two, meaning he and Lance would need to squish to sit comfortably together.

 

_ Oh what have I done. _

 

Lance didn’t seem to feel the awkward tension in the air, indicating Keith was the only one suffering, and took the halo from off his head to set down on the table. 

 

“You sure this is cool? I could still do a dance in here if you want-”

 

“Nope!” Keith hurried to cut him off before Pidge could interfere. “Nope a movie is perfectly alright. In fact, wait here.”

 

He took off in the direction of his bedroom before the other two could begin to ask, returning with a hoodie and a pair of pajama bottoms, both of which he handed to Lance with a lowered gaze.

 

“Here, if you want.”

 

Lance smirked, taking the offered clothing with one hand. 

 

“What’s wrong,” he teased, voice lowered, “don’t like what you see?”

 

_ The opposite actually. _

 

“It’s sort of drafty in here,” Keith said instead, ignoring the way Pidge’s phone was pointed at him, filming his embarrassment. “And this one hogs all the blankets,” he went on, gesturing to her as Lance nodded knowingly. 

 

“Ah, of course,” he agreed, and Keith risked looking up into his face once again. Blue eyes were crinkled at the corner, dancing with humour and something else Keith couldn’t decipher. Or maybe he could have, had he maintained eye contact longer than a few seconds, but that would have involved a lot more self-control than he had readily available. 

 

“You don’t have to, of course,’ he added abruptly, thinking that perhaps Lance thought him rude for suggesting he cover up, but the boy simply laughed and waved him off, tossing away his vest and wings in favour of the hoodie and shimmying into the pants with a tad more gusto than was needed, in Keith’s opinion. 

 

“I appreciate the thought,” he said when he was finished, tugging at the shorter sleeves and performing a delicate twirl. “Am I more to your liking now?” 

 

Keith knew he was teasing, likely part of his act, but seeing Lance in his clothing was doing things to Keith’s insides that were equivalent to experiencing that first drop in a roller coaster. 

 

“Um, yeah,” he heard himself breathe out, and quickly sat down on the couch before his knees gave out. 

 

_ Oh man what have I done! How is it that he’s more attractive wearing  _ more _ clothing! It should be the opposite! _

 

But it wasn’t, and Keith wondered how he was going to survive the next two hours with this literal  _ angel _ sitting beside him.

 

_ I should have just let him strip and be done with it. My god. This is worse. _

 

Lance joined a moment later, and was oddly reserved as he nestled in next to him. It could have been the dark lighting of the room, or the reflective glow from the TV, but Keith was almost positive that Lance’s cheeks were a shade darker than the rest of his skin.

 

_ He’s probably just warm from the clothing. Or me, since I’m freaking sweating like a sinner in church. _

 

A silence descended on them, which was only broken when Pidge cleared her throat louder than was needed, hitting play on the movie they had picked beforehand and nestling into the bean bag with her collection of blankets.

 

“This isn’t awkward at all,” Keith heard her mumble sarcastically, and kicked the back of her seat hard enough to send her skidding a few inches away. “Rude!” she squealed, sending him a few aggressive hand gestures as she worked to remake her nest. “I’m telling Shiro on you.”

 

“Go ahead,” he fired back. “I’m sure Matt will have something to say about this whole stunt you played as well.”

 

“I take it I’m the stunt?” Lance chuckled beside him, and Keith whirled to face him with an apology at the ready, having realized how rude that must have sounded. But Lance was quicker, and waved him off before he could get the words out. “Nah I’m teasing. I’m actually really grateful you’re letting me just hang out until the shift is over. And I haven’t sat down to watch a movie in  _ months _ . I’m always so busy.” 

 

“Oh,” Keith squeaked, but the high pitch of his voice was thankfully drowned out by Pidge’s loud declaration of shock.

 

“What sort of hellish life are you living where you can’t watch movies?!”

 

Lance snorted: another adorable thing about him Keith silently added to the list. A list he hadn’t meant to begin.

 

Yet there he was, sorting everything in alphabetical order. 

 

“One that involves university, I guess,” Lance explained, and Keith peeked over at him as he went on. “Two part-time jobs, a volunteer position at the animal shelter downtown, and the mountain of homework I get each day. Plus a guy needs to party every now and again.” He sighed, leaning back on the couch and bringing his legs up to tuck beneath his chin. “I rarely have time to myself anymore. Especially for movies.”

 

“That’s sad man,” Pidge commented, returning her attention to her phone. “Movies are life.”

 

Lance huffed out a small chuckle and nodded, eyes locked on the screen of the television as the movie played out, but Keith was too intrigued now to pay attention to the plot.

 

“Where do you go to school?” he asked, and Lance glanced over at him with a smile.

 

“The Garrison. I’m studying astrophysics.”

 

“No way,” Keith mumbled under his breath, but it must have been loud enough for Lance to hear, as the boy laughed and nodded.

 

“Yes way. It’s  _ so  _ much work, but I love it.” 

 

“Oh no, that’s not why I said-” Keith broke off, changing gears instead of explaining what he meant. “My brother goes there. He’s an assistant professor now, but before he was in the piloting program.”

 

Lance’s full attention was on him now, which was as overwhelming as it was exhilarating, and Keith was glad for the dimly lit room that would better hide his blush.

 

“A prof? What’s his name?”

 

“Takashi Shir-”

 

“YOUR BROTHER IS SHIRO?!” Lance hollered, startling Pidge.

 

“Yikes chill,” she urged, but Lance didn’t seem to hear. 

 

“Shiro? Like tall, muscular, beef-cake Shiro? Body straight out of a Michelangelo wet dream Shiro? Cheekbones sharp enough to cut glass Shiro? He has a prosthetic arm I think, right?”

 

Keith nodded, something inside him dropping as he heard the way Lance spoke about his brother.

 

“Yeah, that’s the one,” he mumbled, failing to keep the disappointment out of his voice. 

 

_ I don’t know what I was expecting. Everyone reacts that way to Shiro… _

 

_ I just thought…. _

 

_ Ah whatever. I got my hopes up over nothing and no one. _

 

_ Again. _

 

“Wow, small world,” Lance mused, propping his head up with an arm and staring over at Keith. “Good looks must run in the family.”

 

_ Hold up...what? Did you just imply that I was- _

 

_ No way... _

 

Keith wasn’t quite sure how to respond, and after a few seconds of openly gaping he turned his face back towards the TV, trying to hide the growing smile on his face as he leaned into the side of the couch.

 

He could feel Lance’s gaze linger on him for a moment longer, likely smirking or something equally as devious, but chose to ignore it in favour of attempting to focus on the movie. 

 

He wasn’t sure why he bothered though. 

 

Lance’s presence was demanding of attention, and it was on several occasions that Keith found himself sneaking peeks over at the guy when he thought no one was watching. But Lance began to catch on, and during a particularly poorly written romance scene, he scooted closer on the couch, draping his arm over Keith’s shoulder without even bothering with a fake yawn. 

 

It was infuriating, the nerve he had, but Keith couldn’t bring himself to be annoyed or push the arm away. In fact his body completely betrayed him by leaning in somewhat, as if the added warmth Lance provided was enough to cause his entire foundation to shatter. 

 

He pretended not to hear the muffled chuckle of victory overhead, and chose to ignore the feeling of Lance’s hand gently squeezing his shoulder in reply to the movement. 

 

_ This is what I get for being so anti-social. I’m fucking touch starved and my standards are lower than the water levels in the Sahara Desert during mid summer.   _

 

_ Pidge was right...I’m way too lonely. _

 

The revelations were eye-opening, and though Keith wanted to pretend Lance was here for more than just a shift at work, he couldn’t allow himself to proceed with that line of thought. Even though Lance was flirty and kind and attractive and currently tracing small patterns into the fabric of his shirt, he was still a stripper.

 

This was his job: to make his customers happy. It was what he was paid to do.

 

Still, Keith would enjoy the company for the rest of the movie, seeing as Pidge was now passed out and snoring softly from her spot on the floor, just as he knew she would. 

 

They didn’t speak much because of that, not wanting to wake her from her slumber, but Keith still found out a lot about the guy cuddling with him on the couch. 

 

He discovered that Lance had several different types of laughs, ranging from tiny exhales of air to open-mouthed guffaws that were hastily muffled to prevent much sound from escaping. 

 

He learned that they shared a similar sense of humour; cracking up at the same parts and exchanging somewhat startled glances each time they did. 

 

He also found out that Lance was rather perceptive, and could explain the plot better than the actual movie could whenever Keith showed confusion over the events unfolding onscreen, diving deeper into the hidden meanings behind each action or word, hypothesizing backstories that were hardly explored. 

 

And as the night progressed, Keith realized that he was rather fond of the sound of Lance’s voice, quietly informing him that the main character was really searching for himself this whole time, rather than the lost shoe of the stranger who had stolen his dog. Keith was hardly listening to the explanation, or well...he  _ was _ , but not because he cared about understanding the movie. He only wanted to hear Lance’s hushed whispers; feel the puffs of air from each word tickle his cheek. 

 

He was slipping into a dangerous zone of affection he liked to keep sectioned off; toeing the line with hesitation as his mind yelled one thing and his heart screamed another. 

 

_ I can’t start liking this guy, _ he told himself harshly.  _ He’s only here because Pidge paid him to be. He’s only curled up at my side because it’s part of his act.  _

 

_ I can’t let myself get worked up over a movie with a complete stranger! _

 

Or so he told himself, but when an alarm went off from the pile of clothing Lance had discarded in favour of Keith’s pajamas, signifying the end of the session, he found himself hesitant to see Lance leave. 

 

He wanted to hold onto his hoodie sleeve and pull him back down to the couch. To talk more, laugh more...even just cuddle some more. 

 

_ Ah fuck I’m so pathetic… _

 

But Lance was sighing, untangling himself and standing with a stretch.

 

“Time’s up,” he announced, and Pidge cursed unintelligibly from beneath her pile of blankets. 

 

“Turn that alarm off,” she grumbled, sitting up with a mess of tangled hair. 

 

Lance did as asked, bending to retrieve his items and withdrawing a cell phone from some hidden pocket of his angel vest. He winked over at Pidge as the silence returned, movie having been paused.

 

_ That didn’t feel like two hours… _

 

“This was fun,” Lance went on after typing a quick text to someone on his phone. “I’m kinda bummed I didn’t get to see the ending of this.. _.fantastic _ movie though.”

 

“Can’t you stay a little longer then?” Keith heard himself ask, and immediately regretted it as his face burned scarlet. Lance smirked, eyebrow rising mischievously as he leaned over the back of the couch to stare down at him.

 

“I thought you didn’t want me here in the first place,” he mused, and Keith stood in an effort to hide his blush.

 

“I-it was just unexpected and, I mean the movie is almost over anyway so-” he trailed off with a half-assed shrug, seeing Lance’s smile fade somewhat.

 

“I would love to stay and watch the rest, but if I don’t leave at the end of my shift my boss is alerted via the dash cam and someone is sent here to make sure I’m not like, chained up in your basement or something.”

 

“Jesus, has that happened before?” Keith balked, and Lance snorted as he shook his head.

 

“No, but you never know. People are weird.”

 

“I suppose-” Keith broke off as Lance remove his hoodie, using both hands to pull it up and over his head with a fluidity that could only be achieved with practice. That or training...he  _ was _ a stripper after all. Regardless, it left Keith’s mouth dry and eyes wide as he stared shamelessly at Lance’s torso, only pulled out of the trance by a slightly amused ‘ahem’.

 

He made a noise similar to a choked squeak and ducked his head, but if Lance was tempted to tease him for staring, he didn’t take the opportunity, for which Keith was grateful.

 

Still, he made a show of slipping out of the pajama pants Keith had given him to wear, shimming his hips more so than was needed until the clothing fell to his feet, and then daintily stepping out of them without breaking eye contact once. 

 

_ Oh holy shit- _

 

“There,” Lance cooed, bending to pick up the clothing and standing in such a manner that Keith’s insides felt about ready to explode. He was praising whatever genius had invented baggy pants as Lance slipped on his angel wings and halo once more, and just hoped his face wouldn’t betray him as readily as his body was. “Now I can truthfully say I stripped for you.” 

 

Or maybe not, as his cheeks flared so hot Keith was sure there was steam rising from them.

 

He waltzed passed Lance towards the front door, which he opened and relished in the wave of cool air that greeted him. Lance was close behind, and made a show of waving at his vehicle as he stepped down onto the porch, reassuring whoever was watching that he was ok. 

 

Keith hoped his face was hidden well enough in the shadow of his doorway that he wouldn’t be seen as well. The last thing he needed was to be associated with hiring strippers to fill his Friday nights. 

 

Not that he had been the one to hire Lance in the first place, but still. 

 

“So uh,” he began, but Lance cut him off with a lopsided grin, turning back towards him and leaning against the doorway. 

 

“I really do appreciate you letting me chill here. And I  _ really _ do want to know how that movie ends.”

 

“Why? It was horrible.”

 

Lance shrugged.

 

“I liked it. Or maybe I just liked watching it with you.”

 

Keith paused, his reply lingering on the tip of his tongue as he stared at Lance. 

 

_ Is he flirting? But his shift is over! _

 

“You don’t have to do that,” he said shyly, and went on as Lance tilted his head questioningly. “You know, keep up the act. It was nice and all, but don’t feel obligated to continue now that your two hours are over. I really don’t mind-” he broke off as a grin spread out over Lance’s face, which Keith frowned at in confusion.

 

“What,” he spoke slowly, wondering why Lance was still there, lingering. 

 

_ Am I supposed to tip him or something?? _

 

“Ah nothing. Just thinking.”

 

“About what?” 

 

Lance winked, an action that sent shivers rushing down Keith’s arms that he blamed on the chill of the night.

 

“Oh, just about how cute you are.”

 

Keith froze, eyes going wide as he stared unblinkingly at Lance, and when he went to swallow, he found his throat had forgotten which tube was for what, and ended up nearly choking as saliva attempted to colonize his lungs. 

 

“W-hat?” he managed to get out, completely thrown off.

 

“I said you’re cute,” Lance repeated nonchalantly, as if stating the most obvious fact.

 

_ Yeah I heard you! Why though! Why-would you say that???? _

 

“But before...you were talking about my brother and...I-is this part of your routine? Because I don’t understand-”

 

“What? No!” Lance leaned back, running a hand through his hair as his ears turned pink. “No it’s not-I just…I find you attractive.”

 

_ Um excuse me what! _

 

“I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable or anything,” Lance went on, seeing Keith’s mouth drop open in shock. “I’m just stating facts. You’re cute, and endearing, and it was nice being seen as more than just a body for once, you know?” He made a face, rubbing his hands over his eyes and groaning softly. “Ugh sorry I made this weird. I always think too much into these sorts of things and-well, nevermind. I’ll go now. Thanks again for the movie-”

 

“Wait,” Keith interrupted, reaching out and taking hold of Lance’s vest. He flipped it open, ignoring the startled yelp the other made as his fingers dove down into the hidden pocket, pulling out Lance’s phone. 

 

“Dude-”

 

“Here,” Keith held the phone out, urging Lance to unlock it. “I’ll give you my number.”

 

It was Lance’s turn to have his mouth drop open, and his eyes searched Keith’s face for a long moment before a large toothy grin lifted his expression. He took his phone, swiftly unlocking it and handing it back to Keith with a wink.

 

“Is this so you can personally request me next time you dial a dancer?” he whispered, leaning forward once again as Keith added his contact.

 

“No,” he deadpanned, handing the phone back with a shrug. “You said you wanted to see how the movie ended. I’ll let you know.”

 

Lance scoffed, disbelief etched all over his face, and Keith couldn’t hold it any longer. He broke out laughing, biting his lower lip to try and prevent his smile from growing too large as Lance’s cheeks turned as red as the bow decorating his outfit.

 

“Harsh! I didn’t think you’d be so cold hearted Keith. But I guess you  _ did _ slam a door in my face, then tried to make me leave, then covered me up in your hobbit sized clothing-”

 

“Hey!”

 

“-and now this? Geesh, shoulda seen it coming from a mile away. I always fall for the troublemakers.” 

 

Keith rolled his eyes, the tail end of his laughing fit leaving him giggly and light-headed. He leaned against his door, folding his arms over his chest as he appraised Lance one final time, letting his gaze linger in places that really didn’t leave much to the imagination. 

 

“How about this then,” he mulled when his eyes met blue, emboldened after hearing Lance basically confess to having a crush. “We can finish it together some other time. Or maybe go to the theater instead?”

 

Lance beamed, tucking his phone back in the pocket of his vest as he stepped forward a pace.

 

“You asking me out on a date?” he murmured, voice low and husky. Keith hoped his gulp wasn’t as audible as it felt. 

 

“Depends,” he mumbled back. “Would you say yes?”

 

“Would I need to wear the halo and wings?” 

 

Keith smirked, brows lowering over his eyes as he imagined a scene that would surely send him to Hell for even considering.

 

“Maybe not in public...but I wouldn’t object to anything else.”

 

Lance’s laughter was nervous as he stared into Keith’s eyes, and Keith reassured him with a wink. 

 

_ Two can play the flirt game.  _

 

“Wow, I don’t know if I should be turned on or intimidated right now,” Lance confessed, fiddling with the wings of his outfit. “Where was  _ this _ Keith when I first rang your doorbell?”

 

“Hiding beneath a layer of awkward,” Keith retorted, to which Lance huffed out a chuckle. “And believe me he’s starting to regret his previous decisions.”

 

“Well,” Lance gleamed, running his tongue over his bottom lip with a calculated slowness, “if he’s serious about that date then perhaps I can arrange a little redemption.” 

 

_ Oh uh....ok I may have taken this too far… _

 

_ Abort...Abort! _

 

His face must have betrayed his thoughts, as Lance tossed his head back with a laugh.

 

“There he is!” he cheered, poking Keith’s reddening cheeks with a finger. “I think I like awkward Keith better. Devil Keith is too dangerous for a little angel like me.”

 

“Shut up,” Keith grumbled, but he was fighting off a smile as well. 

 

_ Oh thank god. I don’t think I could have kept up that charade.  _

 

Lance lifted his hand to ruffle Keith’s hair before stepping away from the door, towards the front stairs. He turned as he descended them, and Keith couldn’t help but notice the definite spring in his steps. 

 

“I’ll text you later!” he called out, waving one hand over his head. “Thanks again for the movie Keith!”

 

Keith returned the wave, watching Lance fumble with his keys before shooting him another grin as he slowly drove away. He watched until the car disappeared from view, taking his dialed dancer with it.

 

He likely would have continued to stare had Pidge not loudly cleared her throat behind him, causing Keith to jump and whip around. He came face to face with her phone, and from the devious smirk on her face he could tell that she had filmed his and Lance’s entire exchange.

 

“Pidge-”

 

“Thank you for that  _ excellent _ blackmail material my friend,” she cut him off, locking her phone and tucking it in her back pocket. “Now...how to exploit it…”

 

“Pidge I swear to god-”

 

“Pizza,” she said abruptly, holding up a finger to silence him. “Yep,” she nodded, as if solidifying her decision. “I think I’ll start with pizza.”

 

_ Oh great. This is perfect. _

 

But pizza he could manage at least. He would figure out how to hack Pidge’s phone later when she was asleep to delete all evidence of his exchange with the angel.

 

“Fine,” he huffed, wandering back to the living room to retrieve his phone. It was sitting on the couch, blinking with an unread message sent from a number he didn’t know.

 

**_Hey cutie, this is your guardian angel calling to let you know he’s looking forward to our next meeting._ **

 

Keith grinned as he read the text, saving Lance’s name in his phone as the winged emoji and typing in his own reply.

 

**_> I don’t recall calling for an angel,_** he sent, twisting Lance’s initial greeting from hours before. 

 

**_No?_ ** Lance texted back with startling speed. **_Then maybe it’s fate._ **

 

Keith rolled his eyes at the response, about to send something else when another message came through.

 

**_Also no spoilers on that movie. I’m invested in it now and have every intention of watching the rest with you._ **

 

Keith’s insides flipped with delight, his smile only growing as he ignored the teasing looks Pidge was shooting his way.

 

**_> Great,_** he sent back. **_This time I won’t slam the door in your face._**

 

**_Such a sweet talker ;)_ ** Lance replied, and Keith could feel his jaw begin to ache from smiling so much. 

 

“You’re welcome,” Pidge sang from her corner, and Keith tossed a pillow as she stuck out her tongue.

 

“I’m still telling Matt on you.”

 

“That’s bold, considering I have such lovely footage of you being an embarrassing mess of a human.”

 

Keith huffed in annoyance, accepting defeat without admitting it out loud. He knew Matt would find out anyway, seeing as Pidge sucked at secrets, which meant Shiro would find out, which meant this, which meant that...

 

But he didn’t care. Not really.

 

Because he had a date with an angel to look forward to, and no amount of blackmail could keep him from ascending to cloud nine.

  
  
  
  
  



End file.
